Every year, I vow that I won't wait until the last minute to do my shopping. I will have everything done so that I can glide into the final week before Christmas with nothing to do but spread goodwill and wish people a happy holiday. But alas, every year, I end up in the same predicament: Christmas is around the corner, and I still have a ton of shopping to do.
So it is for those of you who share my predicament that ccSCOOP offers this shopping guide—to help you find the gifts you need right here in Columbia County and resist the urge to head for the malls in desperation.
Clocktower Toys & Gifts 1 Main Street With great toys that appeal to kids and adults and a proprietor who truly loves she sells, this crowded shop is a fun place to visit. ccSCOOP Favorites (there are a lot of them): Zoobies—stuffed animals that morph first into pillows then into snuggly blankets, $25.99 and $36.99; Arnold the Snoring Pig, $36.99; Lincoln Logs, $39.99; plastic wind-ups that flip, $2.99
Cow Jones Industrials 5 Main Street
A "vegan boutique" that specializes in earth-friendly and animal-friendly footwear for women and men, as well as handbags and other accessories. This is the perfect place to find gifts for people who don't eat animal products and would rather not wear them either.
Chatham Makes Scents 9 Main Street Organic and vegan products to scent the body, the bath, or the home, as well as a selection of fair trade items from around the world. ccSCOOP Favorite: Pet Protectors—for dogs and cats—tiny gemstones to attach to a pet’s collar, $4.75
The Main Street Grainery 15 Main Street
All kinds of gift possibilities for the health-conscious foodies on your list—British teas, free-trade coffee, dark chocolate. ccSCOOP Favorite: Tortured Orchard Sauces—Garlic Balsamic Drizzle, Sweet Apple Blush, Spiced Pineapple Zinger, Lemon Ginger Twist—made just across the border in North Egremont, $6.99
Banner Clothing House 19 Main Street
Everything Woolrich and then some. Jeans, sweaters, vests, outwear—country clothes for the whole family. ccSCOOP Favorites: Carhartt bib overalls for kids, $23.90; a good selection of warm gloves and mittens, around $15.50 a pair
The Chatham Bookstore 27 Main Street
A small-town independent bookstore with an excellent collection of books for adults and children. ccSCOOP Favorites:Walks by Protected Land in Columbia County, by Sheldon Evans, $10.50; Bad Dogs Have More Fun, by John Grogan, $18.95; Family History Kit (for kids 9-12), $19.99
The Warm Ewe 31 Main Street
Yarns, fibers, beads, needles, books, and patterns for knitters and needleworkers, as well as a delightful collection of baby and children's clothing and such gift items as hand knitted sweaters, scarves, mittens, and gloves. ccSCOOP Favorite: Sample sale offering sweaters for $35 and scarves for $10.
The Chocolate Moose 34 Main Street
Handmade classic and exotic chocolates, with all varieties offered in milk chocolate and dark chocolate. There are also a selection of gift items—whimical gifts upstairs and the things more in the category of gag gifts downstairs in the Metaphysical Moose. ccSCOOP Favorite: tin sewing boxes adorned with old-fashioned ads for sewing-related products, $7
Chatham Kids 34 Main Street
A collection of clothing and accessories for babies and young children which emphasizes locally made and organic products, including a full line of Nature's Baby organic products. ccSCOOP Favorites: Mommy and me aprons, $30 and $21 respectively; whimsical children's helmet covers with ears, trunks, and antlers, $45
American Pie General Store 41 Main Street
All the cookie cutters and kitchen gadgets you could ever want, plus table linens and dinnerware, jewelry and fashion accessories, and great stocking stuffers for everyone on your list. ccSCOOP Favorites: Christmas tree cake mold, $36.75; silicon potholder that doubles as a jar opener, $8.95; “To Do Tattoo,” perfect for those with too much to do, $3.75.
R. H. Van Alstyne 42 Main Street
In addition to fine jewelry and clocks, this shop offers a selection of gift items of equal good taste but somewhat more modest price tags. ccSCOOP Favorites: Goody Goody shoes for infants and children, silk $34, leather $29; graphite objects you can write with, $42 for a pea pod, $62 for an asparagus spear
The Handcrafters 57 Main Street
Art suppliesm framing services, and an extensive selection of gift items created by locals artisans and craftpeople from around the world. ccSCOOP Favorites: silk evening bags ornamented with shells, $48; wooden New England adjustable candle holder, $120; Shaker candle box, $150
HUDSON - Shopping Your Way Up Warren Street
Deffebach Gallery 135 Warren Street The current exhibition, Little Exhaltations, includes several small works at prices that put them in reach for holiday gifts. ccSCOOP Favorites: Decoupages on wood cubes by Thomas Malic, $250 each; Obama Tiles, screen print on linoleum tiles, by Laetitia Hussain with Sam Pratt, $20 each
Lili and Loo 259 Warren Street Furniture and accessories from around the world for people and their homes, selected by owner Melinda Slover, whose eye is unfailing and whose taste is eclectic but impeccable. ccSCOOP Favorites: tall Picasso Morph note pads you can twist and shape, $22; slate coasters, four for $20; Leakey’s binoculars, $135
Verdigris Art & Tea 13 South Third Street
This is the place to shop if you have a serious tea drinker on your shopping list. All manner of tea and equipment for preparing tea—tea strainers, infusers, empty tea bags you can fill with your own loose tea. ccSCOOP Favorite: handmade tea cosies, $18
Steiner’s 301 Warren Street
All manner of sporting goods—kayaks and bicycles, skateboards and snowboards, shoes, athletic equipment, and outdoor gear. ccSCOOP Favorites: wool knit hats, $22.95; fanciful winter hats, $38.95; Crocs in all colors, from $22.95
Hudson Supermarket 310 Warren Street
Subtitled "Marketplace for Inspirational Design," this vast collection of wares from different vendors—antique and otherwise—is certain to yield the perfect gift for someone on your list. ccSCOOP Favorites: the floral designs of Olenka Bashinsky and the hats offered by Dan Turk, formerly the proprietor of The Knotty Woodpecker.
Rural Residence 316 Warren Street
Accessories for people and their homes, books, paper goods, and toiletries that exude the nineteenth-century aesthetic of A. J. Davis and reflect the refined taste of the establishment’s proprietor, Timothy Dunleavy. ccSCOOP Favorites: ingeniously constructed bird calls, $48; reproduction early 20th-century wind-up toys (not meant for children), $37.
Hudson Wine Merchants 341½ Warren Street
Proprietor Michael Albin can help you select the perfect wines for the oenophiles on your list, tailoring his recommendations to your gift budget. In addition to wine, Hudson Wine Merchants has an interesting collection of gift items—from devices for opening wine bottles to wine glasses to bottle stoppers. ccSCOOP Favorite: Wine Away, for removing red wine stains, $8.
Marx Home 344 Warren Street
Kitchen equipment for the serious (and stylish) cook—Alessi, All-Clad, Bodum, Cuisinart, Cuisipro, Krups, Le Creuset—as well as dinnerware and a fascinating collection of kitchen gadgets.
Dogs of Hudson 355 Warren Street
Hudson’s newly opened family dog training center sells a collection of books about dogs and dog training, as well as an assortment of toys designed to keep your dog occupied and challenged when you’re not around. ccSCOOP Favorite: Kibble Nibble, a chic purple plastic-and-rubber alternative to the classic red plastic Buster Cube, $20
Hudson Home 356 Warren Street
Classic furniture and accessories for the home, including linens, tableware, and gift items. ccSCOOP Favorites: red stoneware apples, $10 each; Agraria TasselAire, perfumed tassels, $35 each
Hedström & Judd 401 Warren Street
Objects for the home and the garden, including china, framed and unframed prints, bed linens, hand-dipped candles, glass vases, myrtle topiary, and moss-covered pots. ccSCOOP Favorites: half-pint bird mugs, $34; glass tube vases, from $29
The Cascades 407 Warren Street
This deli and espresso bar is the perfect to take a break from holiday shopping on Warren Street not a place to do holiday shopping—or is it? The walls of this Hudson hangout are lined with possible gift items—salsas, imported crackers and biscuits, gourmet oils and vinegars, chocolate. ccSCOOP Favorite: Create a gift basket of chocolates for your favorite chocoholic
Olde Hudson 434 Warren Street
The source for the finest artisanal cheeses, breads, olives, and meats for your holiday parties is also a great source for holiday gifts. Dena Moran, the shop’s proprietor, will assemble gift baskets of gourmet treats or imported body and bath products. There are also a collection of useful and inventive kitchen gadgets.
Otto 437 Warren Street
Subtitled "Things Turkish for the Home," this shop specializes in Turkish ceramics—plates, bowls, vases, and jars in vibrant colors and traditional patterns. There are also other handmade Turkish goods—woven throws, kilim pillows, hand-blown and painted glass objects, as well such food items as preserves and Turkish delight.
MIX 438 Warren Street
This sparkling white space is a rich source of tasteful and wonderfully unusual objects for the home—furniture, tableware, accessories, and flowering bulbs. ccSCOOP Favorites: a galvanized tub of paperwhites, $35; small oval platters with 19th-century photographs of the Old West, $20 each; a sleek dove-shaped light perched on a wooden clip to attach anywhere, $125
The Spotty Dog Books & Ale 440 Warren Street
Another good place for shopping and taking a break from shopping. In addition to being a pub with Evans’ Ale and seven other artisan beers on tap, the Spotty Dog is an independent bookstore and comprehensive source of art supplies. ccSCOOP Favorite: the works of local authors and illustrators, which have their own section at “the Dog”
Kosa 502 Warren Street
Handmade and earth-friendly clothing and gift items for women and children, including an extensive collection of scarves and jewelry. ccSCOOP Favorites: a collection of gift items for under $25; mouse slippers for kids, $32; "green" tote bags, handmade in Hudson, $48
Casa Urbana Apothecary & Salon 525 Warren Street
Products for men, women, babies, and pets--bath and body products, personal and home fragrances, teas, gifts for baby, accessories for travel. ccSCOOP Favorites: tiny tea trays for parking spent teabags, two for $6; organic baby rattle rings, $10.50
White Rice 531 Warren Street
The White Rice clothing collection for women and children and clothes by other designers, plus an eclectic mix of antiques and accessories brought back from Bali, India, and southeast Asia. ccSCOOP Favorites: hand hammered and polished aluminum trays, $32 and $52; cinnamon candles, $12, $15, and $18
Vasilow's Confectionary 741 Columbia Street
Extraordinary chocolates and other confections made from old family recipes with the finest natural ingredients. ccSCOOP Favorites: dark chocolate Mookie Bars—a speciality of the house—$1.59 each; dark cashew bark, $11 a pound; carob-dipped jumbo Milk Bones, two for $1.79
KINDERHOOK - Shopping at the Crossroads
Michael Devine Home 10 Broad Street
A wonderful collection of decorative and utilitarian objects for the home—tableware, candles, picture frames, desk accessories, including a large selection of magnifying glasses. ccSCOOP Favorites: tins of cheese straws, $12.95; chrome gardening tools with wooden handles: weeder fork, $22.50; hand hoe, $27
Columbia County Historical Society 5 Albany Avenue
The gift shop at the Columbia County Historical Society offers an extensive selection of books on local history, including Peter Stott's Looking for Work and the popular book of historic photographs Mirrored Memories. There are also other gift items--note cards, puzzles, teddy bears, and tea. ccSCOOP Favorite: holiday sale on Vanderpoel Tea—two tins for $25
Masterpiece Gifts and Framing 1 Chatham Street
This shop has handsome picture frames and lovely Christmas tree ornaments, but the assortment of old-fashioned toys are what is most appealing. ccSCOOP Favorites: 1950s bike horn, $6; 1950s bike bell, $8; magnetic poetry kit, $19.95
Fisher's OK Rock Shop 2 Chatham Street
A great place to shop for gifts for adults fond of semiprecious stones or fascinated by geology or for kids who love dinosaurs. (There's a Jonas Studio dinosaur replica in the shop.) ccSCOOP Favorites: proprietor Donald Fisher's book The Rise and Fall of the Taconic Mountains: A Geological History of Eastern New York, $24.95; illustrated geological time line, $14.99
Lindowen's American Country11 Chatham Street
Scented candles in old Mason jars, in such fragrances as Ginger Root and Vanilla Sugar, handwoven 100 percent wool fabric, handwover mats, folk art objects, and other gifts to enhance the country home. ccSCOOP Favorites: wooly folk art sheep, $60; wonderfully fragrant spice balls, $7 each
Blackwood and BrouwerBooksellers 7 Hudson Street
Books for adults and children, plus a selection of greeting cards, calendars, and related items. ccSCOOP Favorites: One More River, by local author Nancy E. Sartin, $16.95; Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen's Bath to Ernest Hemingway's Key West, by Shannon McKenna Schmidt and Joni Rendon, $25
Year Round Yarns 14 Hudson Street
Room after room filled with yarns of all kinds—wool, cotton, linen, mohair, alpaca, acrylics, baby yarn and blends—plus a large selection of handmade knitted and crocheted items—sweaters, ponchos, shawls, afghans, and baby items. ccSCOOP Favorite: handknit turtleneck dog sweaters, $16.99
VALATIE - Shopping the Village Main Street
The Lil Toy Store 3038 Main Street
A toy store featuring toys and games from the past—and some newer things. This is the place to find Lincoln Logs, Barrel of Monkeys, Rubic's Cube, and other classic games made in the USA. ccSCOOP Favorites: Ant Works Sculpture Kit, $28.50; Quao (pronounced "cow"): The Ultimate Dictatorship Card Game, $10.50
Crazy Daisy Florist & Candy Shoppe 3027 Main Street In addition to cut flowers and floral arrangements, Crazy Daisy offers a number of food gift items, including Stonewall Kitchen preserves and dessert sauces. ccSCOOP Favorite: Chocolate Peanut Butter Sauce, $8.50
Antiques & Collectibles 3025 Main Street
There are lots of potential gifts in this shop filled with knickknacks and items that evoke memories from the Baby Boomers childhood. There are salt and pepper shakers, a collection of canes and walking sticks, hats and furs, and toys still in their original boxes. ccSCOOP Favorites: 1940s Juice King juicer, $18; vintage Holiday Musical Train set, $30
Evenstar Book & Gift Emporium 3019A Main Street
Books and gift items—leather accessories, journals, pens, candles, jewelry. ccSCOOP Favorites: Slow Food Revolution by Carlo Petrini in conversation with Gigi Padovani, $26.95; salt cellars, $21; rabbit bookends from America Retold, marked down to $19
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